Are you afraid of change? Why is it so freaky to think about? Is it the thought of taking a risk or doing something out of your comfort zone?

Maybe you need a change in your job, your living situation, from negative people/things… Whatever it is, you know it has to change, but you’re afraid of what comes next.

Maybe you’re afraid of how people would react. Maybe you’re afraid of failing. Maybe it’s because you’re doing something that would make you happier but might let someone else down. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, isn’t it?

I know the feeling all too well and it’s soooo not easy making big changes. Sometimes the best things you can do for yourself are the hardest decisions to make. Change is good when you know it’s going to make a positive difference in your lifestyle. Change means growth and isn’t that ultimately our goal in life? To grow, to be a better person, to live and learn?

I know I’m not the only one who has heard this one before… “you’ve changed”… I mean come on, that’s so dramatic. Of course, I’ve changed!!!! I want to change. I think I heard this line in context or something similar from middle school to high school, from high school to college, from college to now. There’s always someone who wants to point out how much you’ve changed, even when it’s a good change. Whether it’s about changing your wardrobe, turning down a drink to study instead, hanging out with different people, breaking up with a boyfriend, arguing with your parents, trying new hobbies, sticking up for yourself or someone else, moving somewhere different, starting a new career, adjusting your diet… Ohhh the drama, the horror, the shame!!!! So much change in our lifetime, it really just throws people for a loop, doesn’t it!?

Here’s the hard truth… The worst part about change is how others react to your own decisions. That’s what makes it really scary. People aren’t always going to approve of your changes because in some cases, they’re just thinking about how it might affect them. Those people who want to prevent you from change don’t do it on purpose. It has nothing to do with the decision you’re making and everything to do with their own fears and emotions. There are always going to be people who want to hold you back from making a change. Not because they don’t want you to do this or that, but because they are afraid of facing their own truth and the changes they need to make but aren’t ready for it yet. They see you making changes and start looking at their own lives in comparison. Sadly, there are always going to be a few people in our lives who don’t know how to let go of comparison and begin to compete or make you feel bad for moving on with your life. Of course, we will always have those people who are the opposite and are genuinely happy about our decisions. Those are the people who will cheer you on and celebrate your success, your new ventures, and your hardest choices in life.

So the next time you’re ready to make a change, remember to be strong and stay focused on the positive. Don’t be afraid to make a change because of what someone else will say, get excited about your future!  A good lesson to take from this is to remember the next time someone close to you is making a change in their life but it might affect your life or emotions, try to be careful about how you speak your mind. Remember how important it is to support and love people through change because facing that is hard enough.

My husband and I have made several big changes and huge decisions since we got engaged 3 years ago- all of which were beneficial to our relationship and our future. This was a topic that we often discussed everytime we found ourselves thinking too much about what everyone was thinking/saying/feeling, instead of putting our happiness first. We struggled with accepting change, but once we made the changes, there was no looking back and we couldn’t have been more proud of those decisions. We were excited about our future, no matter what other people had to say. Sure, it was scary, but we were ready to grow and prosper together. We couldn’t let anyone or anything hold us back from what we knew was the right path for us.

I write this message in hopes that it speaks to you, inspires you, and gives you the boost you need to make that change you’ve been waiting for. Making changes to your lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re selfish or that you’ve become this totally different person. It means you’re ready to better yourself, to take those next steps into your future, and to do something amazing. Don’t let anyone hold you back from dreaming big. I’m rooting for you, friend!

Welcome to my world of RTP! Man oh man is it glam! 😉 NOT.

I was living with my parents for a couple months while our new house was getting fixed. It was a Wednesday at Noon. I was in my sweatpants, no makeup on, cuddled up on the couch with my dog, eyes glued to my laptop and my phone was blowing up… my Dad interrupted… “soooooo…. what are you doing?” I said, “working”. I didn’t even think to elaborate, because what does he care? My Dad proceeded to ask, “soooo, like what are you working on?…what kind of work?” I took a second to think about it and I literally couldn’t even put it all into words. I said, “ummmm… just a bunch of stuff”. He probably still wonders how I make a living… But come on, I couldn’t go into detail because he just wouldn’t understand and he would probably fall asleep mid-conversation. Let’s imagine it like this:

“yeah, good question Dad, I’m preparing a client portal and contract for a client I just booked, while culling, editing and uploading images from my last session, and then I have to prepare a blog post for tomorrow…do you even know what that means?…but all that comes right after I create a new website page for my new Senior Rep Team that’s about to launch next week, but I’m really tied up with planning for this big Spring project coming up, I have to get the word out like ASAP, actually nevermind, I think I’ll run to Target soon to buy a cute little gift for the wedding clients I booked over the phone this morning, and that way I’ll kill two birds with one stone by grabbing some items for some flatlay images, omg I just remembered I have a session downtown in a few hours, BYE!”

……….Yeahhhhh. That conversation wouldn’t exactly be too exciting for Dad. So, you know, ‘just a bunch of stuff’ works for me.

It’s possible that there are people who think I’m jobless and just travel around the East Coast wearing pink with glitter smeared all over my face while snapping a few good photos here and there. Truth is, my weeks are usually so crazy my head could explode. I have meetings, sessions, phone calls, contracts to send, a lot of planning and coordinating, marketing, social media posts, editing, delivering, styled shoots, weddings, mentoring, (pizza breaks), creative thinking, blogging, newsletters, website updates, emails, traveling and way too much driving, throwing confetti and popping champagne (duh), giving my time to clients, friends, family, and time for myself. I have a tight relationship with low buns, sweatpants, Target, my couch, my pink blanket, and doggy snuggles. And I’m not even a coffee person…

The RTP world is allll over the place, but I LOVE IT. To you all, it might look like I have it all together, it’s easy peasy, I can do whatever I want whenever, but it’s so not true. I do all these things while struggling to find the confidence in my business some days. I get shit done even when I feel weak or discouraged. I have to be my own cheerleader when there are days where I just want to give up. I have days when I feel on top of the world and can accomplish anything. I have days when I feel strong and confident. It’s an emotional business rollercoaster. But it’s the rollercoaster ride I created and I get to do this every day. How awesome is that?!